


Rose's Garden

by RealTerminal



Series: Vale Top Team [2]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Art, Boxing, F/F, Greek Fire, Milk and Cereal, Modern AU, Monochrome, Prequel, Renora, Romance, Rose - Freeform, Sequel, Shattered - Freeform, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-01
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-09-27 16:54:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10034966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RealTerminal/pseuds/RealTerminal
Summary: A collection of stories from the Shattered Rose universe, both prequel and sequel.





	1. Distance - Part 1

                                                                            

The beginning of Yang's professional mixed martial arts career had been one of great promise and frequent stumbles. She clearly had the potential to be a dominant fighter, but her lack of polish led to inconsistent performance and some embarrassing losses. To take her game to the next level, she had moved from Patch to Vale in order to train at a gym owned by one Weiss Schnee. The head trainer, Peter Port, was a retired legend of the sport, and with Weiss' financial backing he hoped to turn Vale Top Team into one of the world's premier mixed martial arts gyms.

Yang was a bit late to the party, but soon befriended the regulars. There was Lie Ren - an Olympic Judoka making the jump to MMA - and his girlfriend - and Olympic Weightlifter - Nora Valkyrie, who had only joined a month previously, Blake Belladonna - an inexperienced fighter - who had joined a few months before, and the team's first signing and greatest coup, rising star Pyrrha Nikos. Pyrrha had only been fighting for about as long as Yang, but an undefeated record and a series of dominant performances meant she was now training for her first title shot. Yang became particularly close with Nora and Blake, the former matching her energy and enthusiasm, the latter drawing her in with an air of indifference. Yang enjoyed the challenge, and befriending Blake was a rewarding one. Besides, she was beautiful, intelligent and single. Perhaps Yang could get a date.

One of Yang's breakthroughs had been Blake's interest in tattoos. She had an appreciation for art, and Yang had a lot on her skin, courtesy of her sister Ruby's ever growing skill in tattooing. It gave Yang an excuse to strip for Blake - just to show the full extent of her tattoos of course - and gush about her little sister and her awe inspiring artistic talents. Ruby had come along from Patch to Vale with Yang, setting up a tattoo parlor in the city with her sister's financial backing.

"Ruby did all this?" Blake asked. Yang and Blake were at the gym, Yang stripped to her underwear, only keeping them on at Blake's request. Blake held Yang's arm, tracing the slightly faded rose vines that snaked their way from her wrist to her shoulder.

"Yep, it started small." Yang nodded. "With this one right here actually." She pointed to a particular rose on her wrist. It looked ever so slightly rougher than the rest. "She was a little nervous, but practice made perfect. She went over it again after she got better. These represent the Rose side of our family...and this one represents the Xiao-Long side of the family." Yang indicated the golden dragon wrapped around her other arm.

"And this one?" Blake asked, running a finger along one of the wings of the raven that covered Yang's back.

Yang's smile faded just a little. "My birth mother, Raven." She replied. "Ruby kinda' got carried away with it. She'd learned to do feathers pretty well and it was good practice."

"They're so beautiful...wow…" Blake gasped. "I've always thought about getting a tattoo. Never really looked into it though."

"Ruby's been trying to make a business of it." Yang suggested. "If you're interested, I could bring her in. You could look at some of her works, talk it over, I could get you a little discount." Yang smirked, winking.

Blake rolled her eyes but looked thoughtful. "I've had a few ideas over the years." She declared. "Sure, why not."

Yang's smile grew. "Awesome!"

* * *

Yang had been excited to bring Ruby to the gym. Despite being bubbly and bright, Ruby was awfully shy, preferring the company of her artworks over that of other people. Yang knew the best way to coax her out of her shell was through said artworks, and despite some anxiety, Ruby had agreed to come. After asking several questions about Blake's ideas and interests, she set to work on a portfolio. The next day, Ruby was a bundle of nerves, her anxiety flaring as they pulled up to the gym on Yang's motorcycle.

"W-what if she doesn't like them?" Ruby asked.

"She'll love them Rubes, don't worry." Yang encouraged.

"Should I say hi, or shake her hand, or let her introduce herself, or…" Ruby rambled.

"Just walk up and give her a nice big hug." Yang suggested. "She loves 'em."

"Uh...okay, right, sure." Ruby psyched herself up. "Okay, I can do this."

* * *

Yang took Ruby to a table at the edge of one of the rooms, near the cage used for sparring, telling her to set up while she got Blake. Opening her portfolio, Ruby began pulling out various examples of her work, as well as references and sketches related to Blake herself. Before she knew it, Yang was calling out to her. "Rubes, meet Blake."

Ruby jumped, dropping one of her sketches as she spun around, coming face to face with Blake. Yang walked past to lean against the table, and Ruby stood frozen for a moment before hurrying forward to wrap Blake in a hug. "H-hi, I'm Ruby."

It was Blake's turn to stand frozen, stunned by the sudden invasion of her personal space. She saw Yang struggling not to laugh and glared at her before returning the embrace. It was not so bad really. "Hello Ruby, I'm Blake." She introduced herself. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Blake let go and Ruby stepped backward, still a little shaky. She gestured toward the table. "I brought a bunch of stuff in to show you." Ruby declared. "Some of my work, aside from Yang that is, a-and Yang said you liked some uh...some book series and stuff. They've got nice illustrations and I made some sketches, just a few ideas that came to mind."

"Book series?" Blake asked, glowering at Yang. "I don't remember telling Yang about my reading habits." She moved to look at the artwork spread out on the table.

"You keep your locker open Blakey." Yang smirked. "And your gym bag, and your car."

"Yaaang!" Ruby admonished. "That's rude!"

"Pfft, whatever." Yang laughed. "You liked looking them up."

"Shut up." Ruby ordered.

"These are beautifully done." Blake observed, holding up a sketched vine of nightshade.

"Oh, thanks!" Ruby cheered. "I just looked up your name, and well, flowers have always been easy for me to draw, so I did a quick one for fun."

"This is Princess Elvira correct?" Blake asked, picking up another work. "From Volume 3?" The sketch depicted a maiden in a glowing dress, one hand stroking her hair, the other clasping the hilt of a rapier. When Blake got no response she turned to find Ruby staring off into the distance. Following her gaze, she saw a sparring match had begun. Lie Ren and Pyrrha Nikos squared off against one another, Pyrrha's long crimson hair flowing as she threw a kick at her opponent.

"That's Pyrrha, she's nice." Yang chuckled. "You'll probably like her."

"Huh?" Ruby snapped back to reality. "Oh yeah. What'd you say Blake?"

"This is Elvira, right?" Blake repeated her question.

"Yeah." Ruby confirmed. "There was a lot of fanart of her, but most of it was...well...yeah…"

"I love it." Blake praised. "Do you think you could do something with both of these?"

"Totally!" Ruby exclaimed. "It would make a great sleeve. She could be laying on your arm surrounded by flowers!"

"A sleeve...hmm…" Blake hesitated.

"It's not as painful as people say." Yang declared. "Unless you're a pansy about it."

"I can handle pain Xiao-Long." Blake scoffed. "It's just a big commitment. Tell me about these other designs."

For the next half hour, Blake went through the rest of Ruby's original works - characterizations of people she knew, fanart of her favorite franchises, and ideas that happened to strike Ruby. Blake praised them all in their own way. It gave Ruby a confidence boost, one she did not feel when people praised her work online. It felt more real coming from someone she could see and touch. Of course all that newfound confidence slipped away in an instant when she heard a new voice behind her.

"Good morning everyone." Pyrrha greeted. Ruby spun, finding herself directly facing Pyrrha. A towel was wrapped around her neck, hair wet from her recent shower draped over her shoulders. Ruby found the sight gorgeous, and absolutely terrifying.

"Mornin' Pyr." Yang responded. "Remember how I told you about Ruby?"

"Ah, hello Ruby." Pyrrha smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Pyrrha extended her hand to shake, and Ruby stared at it for a moment too long before taking it, shaking it more by nervous accident than on purpose. "H-hi." She squeaked. "You looked great while fighting."

"Thank you, I train very hard." Pyrrha bowed. Letting go, she gestured toward the table. "What's all this?"

"Blake's getting a tattoo." Yang replied.

"Maybe." Blake corrected.

"Pfft, as if you can say no to Ruby." Yang scoffed.

"I don't care for what you're implying." Blake warned.

"You did all this?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah!" Ruby cheered. "I did Yang's and my own tattoos, and I've been doing other art commissions for people online for years!" Ruby rolled up the sleeve of her cardigan to reveal the rose on her shoulder.

"They're very well done." Pyrrha praised. "I've never really given tattoos a thought before."

"I could do one for you if you like." Ruby offered. "Free of charge!"

"Uh, thank you Ruby, but that's a bit of a big thing." Pyrrha demurred. "And aside from that, were I to have such quality work done I would insist on paying."

"W-well everyone's first is free." Ruby stammered. "People are always scared the first time, and if more of my work is out there, it'll get around more and I'll get more customers! Not to mention repeat customers. It's simple business really!"

"Well, thank you for the offer Ruby." Pyrrha smiled. "Should I ever decide to have one done, you will be the first person I talk to. I should really get going now. I promised to talk to Weiss this morning. It was a pleasure meeting you."

"It was nice to meet you too!" Ruby exclaimed.

With a smile and a wave Pyrrha left. "See Blakey, told ya' I'd get you a discount." Yang chuckled.

"Are you okay Ruby?" Blake asked.

"I think I scared her off." Ruby sighed.

"Don't worry about her." Yang encouraged. "She's a bit of a celebrity back in Mistral, so she gets uncomfortable with fangirls. She'll get over it eventually."

"Oh…" Ruby groaned.

"What she means is Pyrrha is still adjusting to normal, excitable people." Blake explained. "Nora nearly gave her a heart attack."

"The crazy weightlifter?" Ruby asked.

"Yang...is that how you described her?" Blake pressed.

"That's how she describes herself!" Yang declared.

"Just...she's not crazy Ruby." Blake corrected. "Nora's just excitable."

Suddenly Nora burst through a nearby door and was immediately upon the group. Ruby screamed in terror. "Oh, I'm crazy, _clinically crazy_!" Nora exclaimed. "The pills keep me from killing again!"

* * *

The next couple of weeks were eventful for Ruby. She became familiar with the rest of the gym regulars, particularly Nora and Blake, and even met the elusive Weiss a few times. Though Weiss was often busy and had little patience for entertaining the newcomer, she made an effort to be polite, complementing the tattoo concepts Ruby had drawn for Blake.

"You actually look a lot like her." Ruby observed.

"You think so?" Weiss asked. "I suppose there is a resemblance."

"It's uncanny." Blake answered.

"Who is she?" Weiss asked.

"Princess Elvira." Ruby replied.

"From Ninjas of Love." Blake added.

"That book you're always reading?" Weiss inquired.

"It's my favorite." Blake nodded. "Would you like a copy?"

"Uh...sure." Weiss hesitantly agreed.

* * *

Nora, once calmed down from the initial excitement of meeting someone new and interesting, had gotten the idea of a tribal style tattoo from a famous Vacuoan wrestler. Said tattoo would cover the majority of her right arm, continuing over her shoulder, part of her back, and even her right breast. Ruby was more than a little overwhelmed by the idea, especially the part about tattooing a breast, nipple and all. Luckily she had Blake's tattooing to focus on first. It only took them a week to finalize the design, and two days later Blake visited the apartment Yang and Ruby shared for the actual tattooing. Blake sat in Ruby's makeshift studio, a cramped but cozy space.

"You two have fun in here." Yang smirked. "I'll make some dinner."

"Are you sure about this?" Ruby asked.

"Without a doubt." Blake confirmed.

"Alright, okay, a-and if I make any mistakes I promise I can fix them." Ruby struggled. "Okay?"

"You won't make any mistakes Ruby." Blake said. "I trust you."

"I wish I trusted me." Ruby sighed.

"Come on, you'll do fine." Blake encouraged. "Look at you and Yang. Everything you do is beautiful, and this will be no different. Have some faith in yourself."

"I've always sucked at that part Blake." Ruby shook her head.

Blake suddenly took Ruby's hand in her own, meeting her gaze and smiling reassuringly. "Ruby Rose, you can do anything you put your mind to, anything." Blake declared. "Don't ever let anyone, not even yourself, tell you otherwise."

Ruby gave a wobbly smile and leaned forward. Blake wrapped her in a hug, easily reciprocated. "Okay, let's get this done."

* * *

Blakes tattoos turned out even better than Ruby had hoped. For the sake of Ruby's nerves, she only did the lineart in their first session. The next week Ruby did the shading. The finished work was the same Princess Elvira, but ever so slightly posed differently, to look as if she were reclining along Blake's arm, surrounded by several vines of nightshade, their lilac shading the only source of color in the work. Blake was overjoyed, a strange look for a normally placid woman. For someone who a month ago had not even seriously considered getting a tattoo, she was awfully happy to have a full sleeve. She was so happy in fact that she physically lifted Ruby up to hug her. Blake insisted on paying Ruby somehow, and it was decided that she would lend some of those books she loved so much.

With that out of the way, Ruby was able to focus on something far more stressful. "Good morning Pyrrha!" Ruby greeted.

"Good morning Ruby." Pyrrha responded. "How are we today?"

"Great!" Ruby cheered. "Blake's tattoo is all finished and I've been working on some sketches for Nora."

"That's wonderful." Pyrrha smiled. "I'll have to take a look when I see her next."

Despite Ruby's stammering first impression, Pyrrha was willing to speak with her again. At first it was simply to be polite, little inquiries about each other's well-being, casual greetings and farewells. Slowly this transitioned into conversation. Pyrrha warmed to her, and Ruby could barely contain her excitement. Everything about Pyrrha was beautiful to her. Tall, muscled, with long, flowing, richly auburn hair, emerald eyes that almost glowed and sparkled in the light, and a smile that could start a war.

"Ruby, you're staring again." Blake warned. Ruby snapped out of her trance. She had started watching Pyrrha do pull-ups, her tank top showing off the straining muscles of her back. Ruby turned to Blake, blushing. "Just ask her out Ruby. Take her to lunch or something."

"I-I don't think she swings my way." Ruby stammered.

"You'll never know until you try." Blake noted.

Ruby whined. "Mmng."

* * *

Ruby found Pyrrha's endless supply of enthusiasm comforting, her voice soothing, and her laugh left butterflies in her stomach, to say nothing of warmth in her chest...among other places. Speaking with her was a torturous as it was euphoric, and only reassurances from Blake kept her from losing her cool, crawling into a ball and hiding away from the feelings burning a hole in her heart. Instead she would hide away with Blake.

"You okay?" Blake asked.

"No." Ruby admitted.

"Why is your face red?" Blake enquired.

"Pyrrha was in the shower." Ruby replied.

"And…" Blake pressed.

"I was just going to the bathroom, a-and she must have forgotten the soap or something, but she came out of the stall and she had...nothing...nothing on." Ruby curled into herself, hiding her face in her arms.

Blake pulled Ruby close. "You're hopeless." She sighed.

Ruby whined. "Mmng."


	2. Distance - Part 2

Blake was good conversation. Evidently Yang had backed off, perhaps for fear of scaring off Ruby's new friend, and first friend in quite some time. Instead she bounced between Nora and Pyrrha, sparring, working out and chatting in equal measure. Yang warmed to Nora in particular mainly because, unlike Pyrrha, she responded and reciprocated to her flirting. Pyrrha took it in stride, thanking her for her compliments and laughing off the more forward advances. Ruby found it slightly demoralizing, but not because Yang was flirting with the object of her affections, Yang flirted with everybody. No, she was worried that Pyrrha's lack of reaction was due to a lack of attraction. If she was not attracted to Yang, how could she be attracted to Ruby?

"Ruby, your tattoo, does it have meaning?" Pyrrha asked. Ruby and Pyrrha sat in the gym's kitchen, sharing some cookies Ruby had brought in. Ruby had not baked them herself - she was a hopeless cook - but they were still good. Though the shower incident was fresh in her mind, they had both apologized profusely before laughing it off, Ruby through just a hint of gritted teeth.

"Well...kinda'." Ruby replied. "I mean, I'm Ruby Rose. It makes sense that I like roses, but it was my mother, Summer Rose, who really loved them. She had a garden filled with them back on Patch...and she used to call me 'Little Rose,' because I was tiny and cute." Pyrrha giggled and Ruby flushed. "A-anyway, well, mom passed away when I was young. Things were kind of bad for a while after that, but thinking of the good times with my mom really helped me through things, and I was really into art at the time, so I ended up drawing roses a lot. When I got into tattooing it was just the first thing that came to mind. Yang let me learn on her, and when I got good at tattooing others, I did myself. It's kinda' like a tribute, or a memorial. Mom is gone, but she'll always be with me."

"That's beautiful Ruby." Pyrrha praised. "They're very well done. I'm sure Summer would be very proud of you."

"Thank you Pyrrha." Ruby nearly squealed. "It really means a lot to hear that."

"My mother was in the military." Pyrrha said. "She wanted nothing more than the safety of our country and its citizens." She reached into her handbag, pulling out a small case. Opening it, she placed it on the table. Within was a bronze medallion, a shield overlaid with a spear. "Pandora Nikos gave her life in the service of Mistral...this was five years ago...tomorrow actually. Could...I want to carry her with me too, wherever I go."

"I can do it." Ruby declared. "Of course I'll do it. We can do it today if you want!"

"Uh...are you sure that's okay?" Pyrrha asked. "Don't you need time to, you know, design and all that?"

"Unless you want something really complicated, no." Ruby replied. "This is easy. It's right here. All I need to do is sketch it and scale it, and we could have it done tonight!"

"Thank you." Pyrrha smiled, tearing up. "This means the world to me." She pulled Ruby into tight embrace.

Ruby screamed internally.

* * *

Ruby had things ready by late that afternoon. Yang had gone out with Nora for the night, so they had the apartment to themselves. Ruby again felt the ball of nerves throb within her stomach, but one look at Pyrrha - who was sitting in the chair, biting her lip nervously and staring straight ahead - forced her to compose herself. She lay a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder, snapping her to attention.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Ruby asked.

"Y-yes." Pyrrha stammered. "Sorry, I'm just...a little scared. Will it hurt much?"

"It depends on where you get it done." Ruby replied. "The shoulder is great for a first timer, usually just mild burning. I've got some stress toys if you need one."

"I'd appreciate it." Pyrrha nodded. Ruby applied the stencil, peeling it off to leave the medallion's lineart. The design was simple, only requiring minor shading to make it pop, and if Pyrrha desired, she would color it fully at a later date. Ruby handed Pyrrha a stress toy shaped like a chibi fox. Pyrrha looked at it for a moment before chuckling. "Cute."

Ruby blushed, readying her tattoo gun. "I'm ready when you are."

Pyrrha eyed the gun for a moment before looking away. She had the misfortune to look right as Ruby pulled the trigger, and the rapid motion of the needle was unsettling to say the least. She turned to Ruby who smiled, and Pyrrha smiled back, taking a deep breath before adjusting her grip on the fox. "Okay, let's do this!"

Pyrrha was very quiet during the process, never making a peep. Ruby was able to get it done relatively quickly, in less than an hour, thanks to her being able to focus on her work entirely without distraction. When she was done, Ruby wiped off the excess ink one more time. "There, all done!" Ruby grinned. "Wasn't so bad, now was it...Pyrrha?" Pyrrha's hand gripped the fox like a vice, her jaw was set, eyes near squeezed shut, with tear tracks streaking her face. She did not respond. Ruby set the gun down and stripped off her gloves. Gently, she lay one hand over Pyrrha's fist. "Pyrrha, it's okay. It's over, talk to me?"

Opening her eyes, Pyrrha took a shuddering breath, smiling painfully. "Sorry Ruby, my mind just wandered a bit." She sniffled. "Is it done?"

"Yeah, here, look." Ruby replied. She picked up a small mirror and held it out, allowing Pyrrha to shift and see the design. Pyrrha gasped shakily before breaking down. Ruby hastily put the mirror aside and wrapped her arms around Pyrrha, who clutched at her, burying her face in Ruby's shoulder, tears soaking into her shirt. Ruby held Pyrrha for what felt like an eternity, tearing up herself. She understood how Pyrrha felt. She had shed many tears over strong memories of her mother, and even more over the weakening ones. Pyrrha's wounds were fresher than her own. She was much older and much more mature when she lost Pandora. She had many more memories, strong ones, to mourn over.

"I'm sorry Ruby." Pyrrha sobbed.

"Don't be, it's okay." Ruby soothed. "I know it's a big thing." Ruby grabbed a tissue box, holding it out for Pyrrha who took one with a silent thank you. Ruby took one herself, wiping away the tears she too had shed. "You gonna' be okay?"

"Yeah, I think so." Pyrrha replied. "Thank you Ruby, truly. I didn't mean to make a fuss."

"Pyrrha, trust me, I know how it feels." Ruby declared. "H-hey, you wanna' stay over? Yang's gonna' be out with Nora all night. We could order in pizza, watch some movies maybe?"

Pyrrha smiled, genuinely this time. "I'd like that Ruby."

* * *

The coming weeks were eventful for everyone. Pyrrha had her first title fight, winning of course, showing off her new tattoo on live television as Ruby, Yang, Nora, Ren and Blake cheered her on. It was an absolute demolition, and immediately marked Pyrrha as an elite fighter. And most importantly, Ren popped the question to Nora. In true Nora fashion, the wedding had to be as soon as unreasonably possible. Through all this, Pyrrha was finding herself increasingly conflicted.

Ruby had at first concerned Pyrrha. She was meek and nervous in her presence, like so many of her admirers in Mistral. She admitted it was an unfair snap judgement on her part, but it was what it was. She had grown tired of being placed on a pedestal, fairly or not. She fought well, she put on her best smile for the cameras, then avoided any further attention like the plague. She did not want to be coveted for her fame, her status, her strength. She was not an object, not a deity, she was a person, and wanted to stand on equal footing with one she loved. And here was Ruby, looking at her with stars in her eyes.

Pyrrha was polite, shrugging off Ruby's offerings like she would any other. At this point she would usually sign an autograph and be on her way, but Ruby persisted, ever present, ever friendly. It dawned on Pyrrha that she was being unfair, and made an effort to engage with the younger girl. She soon found that - like her elder sister - Ruby was a bundle of warmth, but whereas Yang flung her warmth anywhere and everywhere with a bright smile and a loud voice, Ruby was content with simply radiating it, passing it off on people who came in contact, much quieter until excited, much smaller until riding Nora or Yang piggy back. It was endearing, and Pyrrha found herself growing to like her.

When the anniversary of her mother's death came near, it struck Pyrrha that she had little to remember her by. An idea had seeded in her mind, and on impulse, she had brought her mother's medal in, and asked Ruby about her tattoo. It took her by surprise that it's meaning was so fitting, and it gave her the courage to make the request. Ruby's ensuing dedication and the resulting work had moved her to tears several times. It was that night, when Ruby ordered pizza and listened to Pyrrha tell stories about Pandora that she felt they truly bonded, that it was right to call her a friend.

Ruby seemed to agree. Pyrrha found herself receiving far more hugs, participating in far more conversation - when time allowed at least - and occasionally Ruby would bring in something to share with her. Ruby certainly loved her sweets, and though Pyrrha generally shied away from such foods, she did not mind the occasional treat, if only to indulge her friend. But Pyrrha found something strange rearing up within her, whenever Ruby did not show for the day, or when she spent more time with Blake or Yang than her. It was slightly cold, but also hot, a twinge within her being. Of course Ruby always made time for her, and Pyrrha felt she was just being selfish.

Pyrrha had not had many true friends since her childhood. Once she began growing famous, it became too difficult to distinguish friend from sycophant, and over time all grew distant or left entirely. Now she had Ruby and Yang, Ren and Nora. To a lesser extent she had Blake and Weiss, but they were less social than the rest, with Blake's sole exception seemingly being Ruby, whom she spent most of her free time with. The rest of Blake's time was spent either with Weiss or working. The strange feeling continued to confuse Pyrrha until, finally, everything came to a head. All it took was one slip, one mistake, one night of passion.

* * *

Ruby had been dancing around Pyrrha since they arrived at the wedding. Jaune, Ruby's plus one, had long been abandoned in favor of her. It did Pyrrha no favors, knowing she was taking precedence over both Blake and Jaune. It made her feel sick to her stomach, guilt, self-loathing and fear pooling like acid, burning, causing her agony. She finally caved when Ruby, obviously at the end of her rope and bolstered by some liquid courage, came right out and said it, nervously staring up into her eyes, putting on her most confident, alluring voice, which still managed to sound meek and shaky.

"Come on Pyrrha, let's slip into one of the other rooms and have some fun." Ruby blushed profusely. To her it felt alien to be so forward, and so it sounded.

It broke Pyrrha's heart to see Ruby trying so hard. "I...I...I don't think I should." Pyrrha struggled.

Ruby flinched, looking crestfallen. "Are you not interested in me or…" She started.

"No, it's not that." Pyrrha shook her head. "It's just...there's something I need to talk to you about. In private."

Ruby perked up, but looked concerned. "Sure." She agreed. Pyrrha led Ruby to the nearby bathroom and locked the door behind them. Sighing, she turned to Ruby, who stood with her hands clasped before her in the middle of the room. "Pyrrha, is everything okay?"

Pyrrha leaned against the door. "No, no Ruby, everything is not okay." She slumped in defeat. "I...I slept with Yang."

Ruby's jaw dropped in shock, soon replaced by a pained expression. She opened her mouth to say something but produced not a sound. After trying several times she managed to swallow the lump in her throat. "Oh." She croaked.

"I'm sorry Ruby, I...I didn't think." Pyrrha pleaded. "I wasn't thinking right, and please don't blame Yang. I've been stupid, and thoughtless and ignorant, and last night I was drunk, and you and Blake looked so comfortable together, and I was feeling weird about it, and Nora and Yang were being flirty, and I just...I'm s-sorry Ruby. I didn't realize. I'm so s-sorry." She buried her face in her hands and sobbed, but was surprised to feel them being pulled away by a softer, smaller pair.

Ruby looked up at Pyrrha, eyes filled with tears and concern. "Pyrrha, don't cry." She beseeched. "Please, talk to me, tell me everything. What do you mean?"

"You've been so good to me Ruby." Pyrrha sobbed. "Ever since we met all you wanted to be was my friend, or at least that's what I thought, but after the tattoo and the night we spent together, we got even closer, and I started feeling strange about you, and I wasn't sure why, and you and Blake were really close and that made me feel stranger, a-and last night I just...I was jealous Ruby. I was jealous of you and Blake, because I thought you were in love with her, because I'm in love with you Ruby, and I think I have been for some time now. And I didn't realize it until this morning, after I woke up beside Yang...I'm sorry. Please forgive me." She bowed her head, closing her eyes. Suddenly something warm pressed against her lips, warm and wet, smelling of roses. She reciprocated the kiss, slowly, meekly, afraid she might scare Ruby off. As the kiss ended, Pyrrha opened her eyes and started at a teary, smiling Ruby.

"I'm in love with you too Pyrrha." Ruby declared. "I forgive you."

Pyrrha was stunned, but felt a smile grow across her face. "R-really?" She huffed a laugh of disbelief.

"Yeah." Ruby confirmed. "You made a mistake, and it wasn't really your fault. You weren't sure, and Yang...well she's Yang...I'm gonna' have a talk with her...I don't know how that's gonna' go to be honest."

"Please don't be angry at her." Pyrrha requested. "It was a misunderstanding. She didn't mean to hurt either of us."

"I know Pyrrha." Ruby sighed. "Yang's like a mother to me. She'd never hurt me on purpose. But she can be careless sometimes...I need her to understand that. I need her to learn, before she does something that _really_ hurts someone. Don't worry about it, okay?"

Ruby pulled Pyrrha into a warm hug, and Pyrrha returned it, taking a deep breath. "Okay."


	3. Distance - Part 3

Pyrrha and Ruby exited the bathroom a newly minted couple, already with more than a few hickeys to their name. They counted themselves lucky Nora was too distracted by the wedding proceedings to make a big deal of it. Ruby gave Yang a withering look upon seeing her. "We'll talk after the wedding." Ruby seethed.

Yang smiled weakly and Pyrrha shot her an apologetic look as she was led away by hand. Yang took solace in that at least. Ruby and Pyrrha were together, so she had not fucked _everything_ up. It still hurt like hell to have Ruby look at her like that. Swallowing her dread, she tried to enjoy the reception. With Ruby occupied by Pyrrha, Jaune was left stag, so Yang did the both of them a favor and propositioned him. He was alright, lacking in confidence but with acceptable stamina. It served its purpose, burning some time and giving her a distraction from her own feelings of guilt. With time, wine and cake, the newlyweds sped off in their limo, heading for the airport and the start of their honeymoon.

Yang was left to drive Ruby home. After hugging and kissing Pyrrha, Ruby walked past Yang and silently donned her helmet. The silent treatment did nothing for Yang's nerves. Even Ruby's arms felt less firm around her waist on the way home. This was bad.

* * *

Ruby stalked off immediately as Yang parked. When Yang made it to the apartment Ruby was standing in the living room, arms crossed, face stern. She uncrossed her arms to point at the couch and Yang obeyed, sitting down, clasping her hands and swallowing. "I'm sorry Ruby." Yang apologized.

"What were you thinking?" Ruby demanded.

"I...I was drunk, a-" Yang started.

"Stop!" Ruby cut her off. "Don't give me that bullshit. You would've been tipsy at worst. You've always handled your alcohol well."

"I thought you were with Blake!" Yang declared.

"You knew I liked Pyrrha!" Ruby accused.

"I know!" Yang shouted. "And I'm sorry, it's just...I thought it was just a crush, and Pyrrha never seemed to reciprocate, a-and you and Blake were getting so close and you looked so comfortable together. I thought after last night you two would, I dunno'...wake up in each other's arms all starry eyed or something!"

"Blake and I are _friends_ Yang!" Ruby yelled. "After you left she took me home. Hell, she had to carry me to the cab, and I didn't even wake up til we got there. I offered to let her stay and she refused." Her voice cracked. "And all the while you were...you were knuckle deep in the woman I love!" Both she and Yang were crying. "Just go up and ask her to have some fun in the back room, great advice Yang. I'm sure that made her feel great about herself. You...you... _God damnit Yang_!"

Ruby stomped off to her room, followed moments later by a stunned Yang. "Ruby, please, I'm sorry." Yang beseeched.

"I know!" Ruby shouted. "Just...I can't...I don't wanna' see you for a while." She pulled a backpack from her wardrobe.

"I'm sorry Ruby." Yang repeated. "I screwed up, I'm sorry."

"Yang, I'm gonna' go stay with Blake for a while." Ruby declared.

"No, no...just, you stay here." Yang sighed. "All your stuff is here. I'll go. Nora and Ren gave me a key to their place, to water their plants. They won't mind me staying for a while. Just...I'll go. I'm sorry." Yang left the room, hastily packing a bag of her own, pausing only to say a shaky goodbye to Ruby. She pretended it did not hurt when Ruby did not respond.

* * *

Yang pulled up in front of Ren and Nora's apartment complex, parking her bike in the garage. She made her way to their floor and entered their unit as quickly as possible. Dropping her bag and helmet, she collapsed on the couch and began sobbing. Fuck pretending, nothing hurt more than Ruby's disapproval. It cut through her like a bullet, and the wound burned white hot. It was agony, and it was all her fault. She had no excuse. She was selfish, ignorant and impulsive at the worst possible time, and she thanked every deity she knew of that it had worked out for the best. She may have irreparably damaged her relationship with Ruby, but at the very least her sister had Pyrrha now. If nothing else, that gave her some solace.

Wiping her tears, Yang pulled out her phone, sending a text to Nora. " _Heya lovebirds, got sexiled so I'm gonna crash at yours for a while if that's okay with you?_ "

Nora's reply was quick in coming, along with a photo attachment. " _Knock yourself out! Fridge and pantry are yours! We've got all we can eat right here ;)_ " Yang opened the attachment. It was a selfie of Nora, smile bright, face flushed, still in her wedding dress, but angled to show a noticeable lump beneath her skirt. It warmed Yang's heart and she laughed.

" _Cheers, play safe you 2 ;)_ " Yang replied. She dropped her phone on the couch, sighing and running her fingers through her hair. "What a mess." She groaned.

Yang decided to look through the kitchen, to both take her mind off things, and hopefully locate some beer. Though Nora loved her sweets, there was only a meager supply in the pantry. Ren managed the majority of her diet after all, keeping things balanced between her more sugary favorites and healthy amounts of meats and greens. Yang had bonded with him over cooking for culinary disasters. Still, the packet of gummy bears was just what she needed now, and armed with a beer from the fridge she was all set...at least until she saw the light on her phone pulsing. Sighing, she placed the beer and sweets on the coffee table and checked the message.

It was from Blake. " _Yang, Ruby texted, are you okay? What happened?_ "

Yang groaned, guilt welling up inside her again. Hunching over, she rubbed her face with one hand and worked her phone with the other, pulling up Blake's message and hitting the call button.

"Yang?" Blake answered after a single ring.

"Hey Blake...sup?" Yang responded weakly.

"Sup?" Blake growled. "Sup is Ruby messaged me saying you had a fight and left, and she asked me to check up on you. What the hell happened?"

"I fucked up Blake." Yang's voice cracked. "I really, _really_ fucked up."

"What did you do?" Blake asked after a brief silence.

"I slept with Pyrrha." Yang admitted.

"Oh God Yang...just...but they were together at the wedding, weren't they?"

"Yeah, but that was after we woke up and Pyrrha cried her eyes out because she just suddenly realized she was actually fucking in love with Ruby." Yang explained. "I told her to tell Ruby the truth, and told Ruby to go all in today. Apparently it worked because they're together now, but...Ruby is really mad at me Blake...she said she didn't want to see me for a while. I'm staying at Nora's for now."

"Why did you sleep with Pyrrha in the first place?" Blake demanded. "You _knew_ how your sister felt about her."

"Because I thought Pyrrha didn't like her back, and maybe if Ruby stopped crushing on her she'd pay attention to you!" Yang shouted.

" _What?!_ " Blake growled after a short silence.

"You like her Blake, don't fucking lie about it." Yang accused. "You're all over her, you're the best friend she's had in years, and if Ruby had just fucking opened her eyes and looked at you like you look at her for once, maybe none of this would have happened…"

"You...fucking... _you don't get to play with people's feelings like that_!" Blake raged.

" _I know that!_ " Yang screamed. "I don't get to do anything! Just sit there while my friends and sister dance around each other instead of fucking opening their mouths and telling the goddamn truth! I just wanted you all to be happy! I wanted Ruby to be happy, and Pyrrha was being dense, and you were being all considerate and self sacrificing like a fuckin' moron! Did you…" Yang paused as an audible beep blared in her ear. "Blake? _Damnit_!"

* * *

_Slap!_

Blake's hand slammed into the side of Yang's face as soon as the latter opened the door. Blake stood glaring as Yang recovered, gaping at her in shock before slumping and standing aside to let Blake in. Closing the door, Yang turned around, only to be drawn into an embrace. "Wha...Blake?" Yang gasped.

"You're lucky I'm an understanding person." Blake grumbled.

Yang sniffled before returning the hug, burying her face in Blake's shoulder, breathing in the gentle aroma of her lavender perfume. "I'm sorry Blake." Yang apologized.

"I know, and I accept your apology." Blake responded.

"I don't deserve it." Yang declared.

"Bullshit." Blake scoffed. "Now who's being self sacrificing?"

"I don't know what to do." Yang groaned. "I've never fucked up this bad, not with Ruby. I'm scared."

"What we're _both_ going to do is distance ourselves." Blake stated. "Let Ruby and Pyrrha sort themselves out, and when Ruby is ready she'll reach out on her own."

"We?" Yang asked. "What did _you_ do? You're her best friend. You can't abandon her like that."

"I'm not going to abandon her Yang." Blake assured her. "I'm going to take a step back and let their relationship flourish. I don't want any of my feelings getting in the way, accidentally or otherwise. Half of our friendship was Ruby trying to run from the overwhelming feelings anyway."

"Blake...ugh...fuck this bullshit." Yang sighed. "This is all my fault."

"Only mostly." Blake smirked.

Yang laughed hysterically, but soon dissolved into sobbing. Blake continued to hold her as she vented her anguish once more.

* * *

True to their word, Blake and Yang withdrew from Ruby's life - Yang entirely, Blake passively. Blake did not seek Ruby out, interacting with her only when directly addressed, and otherwise keeping a low profile. As predicted, without the need to hide from Pyrrha, most of Ruby's free time was spent with her, and Blake gradually faded into the background. She did not blame Ruby, knowing she could be of a one track mind, and Blake took advantage of that. Better a faded friendship than a denied romance.

Yang had a tougher time. The few times Yang and Ruby came into contact they were silent, with Ruby avoiding eye contact and Yang hurrying away, choking back tears. Yang decided the best coping strategy was to avoid her entirely. Ruby now tended to visit the gym when Pyrrha was there, leaving alongside her. With the assistance of Blake, Yang kept her time at the gym separate from her sister's. It was painful being away from Ruby, but at least now she did not have to face her shunning. She could at least pretend to be okay.

Meanwhile, Ruby and Pyrrha were enjoying their newfound love to the best of their ability. Despite a rocky start, Ruby proved true to her word. She had forgiven Pyrrha for her mistake, and was fully dedicated to making their relationship work. Their first activity as a couple: Pyrrha rushing to Ruby's side to comfort her after Yang's departure. It was not the most romantic of starts, or perhaps more romantic than one would think. In her grief, Ruby turned to Pyrrha, willingly sharing her pain for the first time as a couple. From there they shared dinner for the first time, shared a bed for the first time, and eventually made love for the first time. Their relationship grew stronger with each passing day, but not all was well in their lives.

The absence of Yang weighed heavily on Ruby. At any mention or reminder, her mood dampened significantly. The few times she caught a glimpse of Yang, she was left on the verge of tears. It was all Pyrrha could do to hold her and try to soothe away the pain. Pyrrha felt her share of guilt, no matter how much Yang and Ruby insisted it was not her fault, that Yang was a seductress whose normally harmless habit of flirting and sleeping with any who took her fancy had crossed a sacred line, despite the best of intentions.

Yang needed to understand the gravity of her actions and suffer the consequences, but Pyrrha had made a choice too. Drunk and aroused as she was, she had still made the decision herself. Yang did not force herself upon Pyrrha, she went of her own accord, fueled by envy, arousal and frustration. She was as much to blame for the mistake as Yang in her eyes, and yet she had not received punishment. Yang had, and that only further deepened her guilt at seeing the sisters so divided and so agonized by the distance.

Four weeks had passed. Ren and Nora had long since returned from their honeymoon, and still Yang remained with them. Pyrrha decided it was time to intervene. "Ruby." Pyrrha called.

"Yeah?" Ruby responded, looking up from the tribal design she was sketching for Nora.

"Are you happy with us?" Pyrrha asked.

Ruby frowned, quirking her brow at Pyrrha. "Of course I am!" She exclaimed. "I love you Pyrrha. What brought this on?"

Pyrrha closed her eyes and put her arms around Ruby's waist. "I saw Yang yesterday." She sighed.

"Oh…" Ruby trailed off.

"I talked to her." Pyrrha continued.

"You did?" Ruby asked.

"She was trying to leave, I followed her." Pyrrha replied.

"Hmm." Ruby struggled.

"She was crying Ruby." Pyrrha added. Ruby remained silent. "She misses you Ruby."

"I know." Ruby sighed.

"And you miss her." Pyrrha declared.

"I do." Ruby confirmed.

"This can't go on Ruby." Pyrrha warned.

"I'm scared Pyrrha." Ruby admitted.

"Of what?" Pyrrha asked.

"It was stupid, I shouldn't have done it in the first place, but I was just so _angry_ and I didn't want to say something terrible." Ruby explained. "So I tried to leave, but then she left, a-and then she stopped coming to the gym when we did, she didn't message me or anything. I thought she would try something, I thought she would do something first, and I wouldn't have to, I could just hug her and apologize, and everything would go back to normal. But it's been like a month now and...and I hurt her Pyrrha. She's been hurting all this time and I've been ignoring it, after she supported me for so long. How could she forgive me for doing this to her?"

"Because she's your sister Ruby, she loves you." Pyrrha replied. "It's why she honored your request in the first place. She _could_ have tried something, reached out to you, but you asked for space, and as painful as it was, she obliged. Do you really think she'll hold it against you because it took you longer than expected? Do you think she will push you away when she clearly misses you to the point of agony?"

"I fucked up." Ruby sniffled.

"You can make it right Ruby." Pyrrha declared, holding up Ruby's phone. "Today, right now."

* * *

Yang found a sort of comfort at Ren and Nora's apartment. They were surprised to find her still there when they returned, and even more surprised to find the fridge and pantry fully stocked, and what little mess they had left cleaned and sorted. After explaining the full extent of the situation, Yang apologized for not telling them the whole truth in the first place, explaining she had not wanted to risk putting a damper on their honeymoon. She would leave if they wanted her to. Nora and Ren objected instantly and strongly, offering their sympathy, their comfort, and a place in their bed. The futon was not the most comfortable place in the world after all.

Yang was hesitant to take them up on their offer at first. Promiscuity had been what had gotten her into the mess at hand. But Nora was persuasive, and Ren was accepting. More often than not, Yang would find herself sandwiched or sandwiching in their bed. It helped Yang cope with the loneliness she felt on a daily basis. It was no substitute for Ruby, but Yang was a very intimate person, it was in her nature to seek out and love others. The absence of love had been crushing, and any chances of a closer relationship with Blake soured by her mistakes. Pyrrha was with Ruby, Ruby was shunning her, and until now Ren and Nora had been away, celebrating their own mutual love. To share in it herself, even temporarily, was a great and appreciated relief. So she found herself laying on the couch, head in Nora's lap, Nora's fingers stroking her hair absentmindedly as she dozed, while Ren made lunch in the kitchen. A vibration from her pants broke her slumber.

"Yang, your butt's vibrating...again." Nora chuckled. Yang smirked, playfully tapping Nora on the cheek before shifting. Nora slid her hand into Yang's rear pocket, pulling the device free. Looking at the sender she squeaked. "Yang, it's Ruby!"

Yang shot upright, snatching the phone from Nora and opening the message. " _Pizza at home tonight?_ "

" _Hell yes! What time?_ " Yang texted back.

" _7\. I'm really sorry Yang. Please forgive me._ " Came Ruby's reply.

" _Only if you give me all the hugs I've been missing!_ " Yang responded.

" _Deal! I love you Yang!_ "

" _I love you too Rubes!_ "

Yang was suddenly hugged around the waist by Nora. "What did she say?!" Nora demanded excitedly.

"Pizza night at home!" Yang cheered. She tossed her phone onto the couch and twisted around, pulling Nora into a deep kiss before grabbing her in a bear hug. "I've got my sister back!"

"Wooooooh!" Nora cheered.

Yang had not realized she was crying until her legs gave way. Nora found herself holding Yang as she convulsed, half laughing, half sobbing, as tears soaked into her shirt. "I've got my family back!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that ends the Distance arc, see you next time for some monochromatic goodness...


	4. Comfort - Part 1

Weiss was concerned.

No, not worried. Mothers worried over their children playing in the dirt, accumulating scrapes, scuffing shoes, ripping clothes. Worries were small-time concerns that bordered on the irrational. No, Weiss was concerned. People were concerned with the political climate, with making rent, with the bruises on their mother's face...with their best friend...only friend...seeming to fall off the face of the planet.

When Blake arrived at Vale Top Team, Weiss was surprised to find herself enjoying the woman's presence. She was soft spoken but snarky when challenged, intelligent without being boastful, all while being a magnificent fighter and athlete. Weiss was not a social person, owing to a less than stellar upbringing. Toxic parentage and homeschooling did not foster a healthy social appetite. But Blake made her feel comfortable. She did not ask unwelcome questions. Their conversations were always civil, never straying past playful snark and the occasional smirking, backhanded compliment.

At first her visits were work related and rather rare, to discuss schedules, training and equipment. Blake was observant, and often times reported issues with the gym before Coach or Doc even noticed the problem. These little meetings progressed into daily visits in the morning, and after an uncomfortable little bit of drama between two of the fighters and a younger sister, Blake's visits multiplied and extended. Weiss got the impression that Blake had very little of a life outside the gym, and related to her in that regard. Weiss' work was her life, and apart from the occasional book or singing aloud to songs that took her fancy, Weiss did not have much in the way of hobbies. But Blake had a true passion for reading, and admittedly, writing. She shared her favorites with Weiss, which - despite some of their subject matter - were truly entertaining reads, and discussion fueled their meetings for weeks.

Then, four days earlier, Blake had not come in for her usual meeting and then missed her scheduled training. This had happened once before, just a few days prior actually. Weiss had called to check up on her. Blake had answered, sounding groggy, explaining she had had too much to drink the night before and slept in. Weiss advised her to take the day off, that her health was more important than her fighting. Blake had come in the next morning, bringing tea and croissants, which were greatly appreciated as Weiss tended to eat lightly throughout the day and have a large dinner. This time though, Blake had not answered Weiss' call. Figuring Blake was in the shower or otherwise busy, Weiss waited an hour before calling again.

This time Blake picked up. "Yeah?" She answered.

"Blake, are you okay?" Weiss asked.

"Huh?" Blake groaned. "Ng-yeah, juss'...sick Weiss, sorry." Blake explained.

"Oh, that's okay." Weiss breathed a sigh of relief. "Sorry if I woke you. Do you need anything?"

"No, I'll be fine Weiss." Blake replied. "Thank you."

"It's no trouble." Weiss declared. "If you need anything, give me a call, okay?"

"I will Weiss." Blake promised.

"Drink lots of fluids and get plenty of rest." Weiss suggested.

"Sure." Blake agreed.

"Right, well, goodbye." Weiss said.

Blake wasted no time in responding. "G'bye Weiss."

* * *

Weiss had thought the matter closed, but when Blake did not call or show up for the next three days, she grew concerned once more. It was not like Blake to stop all communication. They texted on occasion, sometimes late into the night, but now Blake was being completely silent, Weiss' texts seen but unanswered. For all intents and purposes she had disappeared. Weiss did not like it when things disappeared. It meant they were unknown, and the unknown was no place for a person, especially the only friend of Weiss Schnee. People did not disappear for good reasons. She decided to give it one more day, then she was texting, calling, if need be driving to her apartment to bang on the door, and shoot off the lock if she had to. Weiss owned a revolver, so it was an option.

One day was all it took. Blake walked in the next morning. Well, shambled in.

Weiss did not even notice Blake at first. There was no morning visit to her office, or wave at the one-way mirror that separated her office from the rest of the gym. Weiss did not even notice her on the security cameras. She had no idea how long Blake had been in the gym before Weiss finally caught a glimpse of her in her peripheral vision, in the corner of one of the security feeds. Blake was laying into a heavy bag, but her movements were slow, lethargic and clumsy. The bag barely shifted from the impacts. Weiss dashed out of her office and raced to the area.

"Blake?" Weiss called.

Blake punched the bag once more before slumping, well, slumping more than she already was. She weakly steadied the bag but did not turn to address Weiss. "Weiss." Blake said, almost at a whisper.

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked.

"I'm fine Weiss." Blake replied.

"If you were fine you'd at least lie to my face." Weiss sighed.

Blake spun around, glaring. "I'm fine!" She shouted.

Weiss took a step back, eyes wide. Blake looked terrible. Dark circles ringed her eyes, which seemed to have lost their golden luster, instead seeming almost bronze. They briefly fixated with a piercing glower before she looked away, stalking toward the locker room. "Blake wait!" Weiss pursued her. Blake shoved open the door and Weiss followed, closing it behind her and locking it for good measure. Blake walked to her locker and punched in the code. "Blake please, what happened?" Blake did not respond, just grabbing a bottle from her locker and taking a sip. "Was it something I did? I-I don't know what it was, but I'm sorry. Please don't…"

Blake slammed the locker shut, then leaned her forehead against it. "This isn't about you Weiss!" She growled.

"Then what _is_ it about?" Weiss pressed. "Blake, please, let me help."

"You can't help Weiss." Blake sighed. "I should have, he asked me for help and I didn't give it, and now he's dead…" Her voice shook and she turned to lean her back against the metal, hair hiding her face as Weiss approached.

"Blake?" Weiss entreated.

"I didn't tell you about Adam, did I?" Blake asked.

"Not really." Weiss confirmed.

"Adam took care of me when I was young." Blake explained. "I was never very good at it, still not, 'swhy I never invite anyone over. Even when we were adopted, he never failed...until he did." She slid to the ground, arms wrapping around her legs as she drew them up to her chest.

Weiss sat beside Blake and slipped a hand over one of hers. After a moment they linked fingers. "What happened?" Weiss asked.

"Gangs, drugs...he fell hard Weiss, and I lost him." Blake replied. "It took him trying to kiss me to realize it. He was my brother, and he wanted more, but even if I did, he wasn't the same person I called my brother anymore. They took him from me, and that was the final straw. He got angry, he hit me, and then he was gone...until last week."

"You said you had a hangover...what really happened?" Weiss pressed.

"He showed up on my doorstep - frightened, pale, shaking - and begged me to help him." Blake answered. "I...he said he loved me, he said he would do anything, but I was just so _angry_ and I yelled at him! I told him to fuck off and slammed the door in his face. Then I got drunk, and then you woke me up. And I tried to ignore it."

"Blake, what else happened?" Weiss persisted.

Blake was clutching Weiss' hand now, hard enough that it almost hurt. "Mom called me, she was crying." Blake sniffled. "A-Adam had been found...dead. Hypothermia...in an alley not far from my apartment. We came to identify the body and...Weiss...I killed him."

"Blake, no." Weiss interjected.

"I may as well have!" Blake shouted. "Weiss, he was sick and cold, going through withdrawals from whatever the fuck drugs and when I slammed the door in his face I may as well have slit his throat!"

"Blake, you had no way of knowing!" Weiss countered.

"It doesn't matter!" Blake protested. "He was my brother! He was my family! I should have helped him, I should have called the police, I should have done _something_ , but I didn't, and he crawled into some alley to die, the last thing ever to happen to him being told to fuck off by the one person he could turn to…" Sobs cut off any further attempts to speak.

Weiss froze for a moment but gathered Blake into a hug. Blake responded instantly, clutching her shirt, sobbing into her shoulder. "It's alright, I've got you." Weiss soothed. "I'm not going anywhere."

Blake clutched harder and nodded. Her sobs dissolved into whimpers, then heavy breathing, then slowly Blake relaxed her grip. "I don't wanna' go home." Blake wept.

"Then you can stay at mine." Weiss offered.

Blake sniffled. "Thank you."

* * *

Weiss left Blake to pack her things, visiting Coach to inform him of her pending absence from the gym, then headed to her office to pack essentials. Blake was sitting beside her duffel bag when Weiss returned to the locker room, and she did not resist when Weiss took her hand, leading her out of the gym and toward her car. "Did you have breakfast before you came in?" Weiss asked.

"A granola bar." Blake replied.

"Then no." Weiss rolled her eyes. Blake did not protest when Weiss pulled up to a drive through coffee place. She received a slap on her wrist when she reached for her wallet though. One light and mobile breakfast later, they had parked below Weiss' apartment building, a luxury living building with a penthouse to boot. It was Weiss' penthouse to be precise, and Blake would have marveled at it were she not so damn tired.

Weiss led Blake to one of the rooms. "This is the guest bedroom." Weiss explained. "It has its own bathroom which should be stocked with towels, robes, and bodycare products." Blake sat on the bed, sinking into the thick covers. She blinked blearily as she looked around the room, the soft amber light of a bedside lamp casting a warmth over the room. She smiled, genuinely, up at Weiss, who though standing was barely taller. "I'll be in my office. It's down the hall. I'll keep the door closed so I don't disturb you. Is there anything you might need? I'll go shopping while you rest."

"No." Blake shook her head. She leaned forward, wrapping her arms around Weiss' waist and squeezing her firmly. "Thank you."

Weiss hesitated, then began running her hand down Blake's head, stroking soothingly through her hair. "Take all the time you need Blake." She encouraged. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise."

* * *

Weiss and Blake slowly established a new routine. Weiss would awake, shower, then order breakfast from the restaurant in the building's lobby. She would wait for it to arrive before gently prodding Blake awake. They would eat together, listening to the morning news, but remaining mostly silent themselves. Afterwards Weiss would retreat to her office, and Blake would curl up on the couch with a book. Lunch was the same, except afterwards Weiss would stay in the lounge with Blake for a while, either reading a book of her own or watching something that took her fancy. Sometimes Blake would lay down and rest on her lap. It felt comfortable. For dinner, Weiss insisted they actually head down to the restaurant, if only to get Blake out of the penthouse for a while. Once Blake saw their seafood menu she did not protest.

Blake gradually opened up to Weiss. She spoke of her childhood, her time in an orphanage, her feelings of loneliness and isolation. Of meeting Adam, and the years spent at each other's side. Of their adoption and their loving parents. Blake admitted she was not as close to them as they deserved, but she had always been more reliant on Adam, and his downfall and departure had been hard on all of them. Weiss learned that Blake's fighting career started with her desire to fend for herself, and while she succeeded in that, it was not an easy existence. She was lonely.

Weiss - of course - sympathized, and for the first time in her life, she opened up about her own upbringing. About her drunk of a mother, her abusive and domineering father, her sister who escaped to college and never looked back, who separated from the family and pursued a career in law and later politics. About her own escape, her sister's support and charity, her decision to invest in the gym and make her own mark on the world. How crushingly lonely she was in her lofty penthouse, and how much safer she felt surrounded by her fighters.

As the week came to a close, Blake lay on Weiss' lap, an open pizza box balanced on her stomach. It was a change from their usual dinner routine, but a welcome one. Normally Weiss shied away from fingerfood, a product of a formal upbringing, she avoided getting her hands dirty. But pizza was a vice she allowed herself to indulge in on occasion. And so she found herself in this comfortable, if intimate, position. Blake was distracted, watching a documentary on the television. Weiss picked up a slice of pizza, waited for the right time, and poked it into Blake's open mouth. Blake jerked but laughed, meeting Weiss' amused gaze and biting down. Weiss pulled the slice away, but some cheese slid off, landing on Blake's chin.

"Oops." Blake laughed.

Weiss giggled, reaching over and pulling a tissue from a nearby box. Blake licked up the extra cheese, then held still as Weiss soaked up the remaining grease and sauce. When she finished, they did not move. Weiss stared down at Blake's golden eyes, restored to their usual glow, and Blake admired Weiss' arctic blue. This was comfortable. _They_ were comfortable. They had not felt this comfortable in a long time. "Stay with me." Weiss requested.

Blake smiled. "Gladly."


	5. Comfort - Part 2

Blake moved in the next day. It did not take long to pack her things into Weiss' convertible. She lived light, her wardrobe and books forming the majority of her belongings. Though there was also a safe, and a black box Blake told Weiss not to go through. Weiss had read enough of Blake's books to understand why.

Blake also returned to the gym, resuming her training with renewed vigor. Weiss returned to her work, hardly interrupted by a week of working from home. She did not need to come to the gym, she could and had managed from the penthouse just fine. Until now she had no reason to. The penthouse was cold, empty and lonely, and it distanced her from the fighters, from Blake. It reminded her of the childhood she had been trying to escape all her life. But with Blake's arrival, all that changed.

At the end of each day, Blake and Weiss would wait for each other before driving home together. Often, Blake would just ride with Weiss, there was no sense in driving two cars to and from the same destination at roughly the same time. Home life became a more limited, but cherished part of their schedules. Weiss stopped bringing work home with her, and instead spent all of her free time with Blake, reading, discussing their literature, watching movies and going out for dinner. More often than not they ended up in what had become their favorite position - Weiss sitting or laying on the couch, Blake laying on her lap.

Casual physical contact such as this was becoming commonplace between them. All her life, Weiss had not felt so warm in the presence of another, never craved their touch, the sound of their voice, their burning eyes gazing into hers like beacons in the dark. Perhaps Weiss had been reading too many of Blake's novels, perhaps her thoughts had begun to stray too far and too deep, but she found she no longer cared. She had to try. She needed to know.

So as they lay in their most familiar of positions, Blake's face buried in Weiss' stomach, arms laying limply at her sides, Weiss swallowed, ceasing her movements through Blake's ebony locks. "Blake?" Weiss asked. Blake shifted, meeting Weiss' gaze instantly. The weight of it felt crushing, as if those golden irises were pressing down upon her, quashing the air from her lungs.

"Weiss?" Blake asked. She shifted to her knees, not straying further. She loomed over Weiss, their position seeming infinitely more intimate than it had ever before.

Weiss took a deep breath. "Be mine?" She asked.

Blake's eyes bulged, and for a fleeting, agonizing moment, Weiss regretted her words. Then Blake was upon her, lips crashing into her own, strong arms wrapping her in a possessive embrace. Weiss gasped, shakily clutching at Blake's shirt. She could not have fought it if she had tried, she was being swept away by a tide of passion, helpless, screaming, moaning. The kissing ended, and for the first time in Weiss' life, she felt truly breathless, in awe as she stared up at the flustered woman hunched over her. The laughing woman hunched over her.

"God Weiss, a Ninjas of Love quote?" Blake chuckled.

"Shut up." Weiss tried to scowl, her furious blushing robbing it of all meaning. "You're the one who got me into that _filth_."

"Looks like that filth worked out for us." Blake smirked.

Weiss managed to meet Blake's gaze. "So it seems." She smiled.

"I'll be yours Weiss, but…" Blake started. She leaned down to Weiss' ear, and was suddenly aware of the warmth blooming down below. "...you're gonna' have to claim me."

Weiss was aflame.

* * *

The next few weeks were new and exciting for both of them. With Weiss' permission, Blake had told Yang and Ruby about their relationship. Ruby was overjoyed, Yang a little less ecstatic, but still happy enough to smile and congratulate her. Yang later dropped in on Weiss and Blake at lunch, expensive bottle of wine in hand and a more genuine smile on her lips.

"Sorry I'm a downer today." Yang apologized. "Got some stuff on my mind. You two enjoy this for me."

Blake thanked Yang with a hug, which seemed to improve her spirits. They later discovered Yang had been rejected after confessing her feelings to someone she had a strictly physical relationship with. It had been a rather large blow to Yang's confidence, and the announcement of Weiss and Blake's newfound love had salted the wound.

Though the inflicted pain had been unintentional, Blake felt for the brawler. She was certainly a flirt, and that habit had caused issues in the past, but Yang seemed to have sobered since then. Her compliments were friendlier in nature, her flirtations more playful than serious, and it seemed she desired to settle down. That desire had cost her a valued relationship. Blake took her out for drinks, Weiss in tow, where under the influence Yang freely vented her frustrations and insecurities...then vented the contents of her stomach into a toilet.

After sleeping off the hangover in what had been Blake's bedroom, a very grateful Yang left them with a tray of freshly baked cookies and a bear hug that probably aged their backs half a decade. The cookies were delicious.

* * *

After Weiss and Blake began sharing a bed, sex became a common occurrence. Though voracious, Weiss had grown up sheltered, with her only sexual experience - and the majority of her knowledge - being clinical until Blake introduced her to erotica. This had resulted in a lot of pent up feelings and desires that she was all too happy to vent in the bedroom. Blake, meanwhile, had had a healthier upbringing as far as sex was concerned, going through several short lived relationships in her teenage years, before losing interest as she entered adulthood. No one had inspired that spark until she met Ruby and Yang. But things were not meant to be, Yang having backed off, and Ruby had eyes only for Pyrrha.

Blake's affections for Weiss were not immediately apparent, even to herself. Weiss was beautiful, intelligent and thoughtful, but closed off, offering the same sorts of glimpses and hints to her life as Blake did. Weiss was not one to open her heart, not like Yang or Ruby. But then again, Blake was not usually one to break down and pour out her heart either. Perhaps that was why they were drawn to each other. They were alike enough that they felt comfortable allowing these breaks in character.

Perhaps that was why they felt so comfortable experimenting with each other's desires. When Weiss came home with a black bag and a nervous expression, Blake had smiled comfortingly. When she revealed with shaking hands the leather collar, Blake had gladly allowed her lover to fasten it around her throat, revelling in how Weiss' eyes dilated at the sight. When Weiss later entered the bedroom to find Blake clad in naught but her collar and a pair of fluffy feline ears, only love and excitement shone in her pale blue eyes.

Once, Blake had feared for their relationship. In dreams her affections had wandered. A fantasy conjured, one of polyamory. Though fearing Weiss' disapproval, she could not bear to hide her deviance, and confessed her guilt. Weiss had merely smiled, drawing her into a secure embrace, running fingers gently through her hair, an action that always greatly comforted her.

"We are no strangers to fantasy my dear." Weiss had told her. Blake had thought her words to be simply of comfort, but when she arrived home from a book signing to find Weiss _and Yang_ in wait, she realized they were much more. Blake never felt guilt for her fantasies again.

* * *

As their anniversary approached, Weiss' insecurities reared, and her one major fear came to the surface. "Blake...Winter doesn't know I'm bisexual." She admitted.

Blake lowered her book, looking up at Weiss. Upon seeing her fearful expression, Blake let the book slide to the floor and twisted around in Weiss' grip to meet her with a kiss. "Do you think she won't approve?" Blake asked.

"She's the only family I really have." Weiss failed to answer the question. "I'm scared."

"Has she ever given any indication she wouldn't?" Blake insisted.

"I don't know." Weiss replied. "We don't get to talk much about these things."

"Then we can change that." Blake suggested. "Our anniversary dinner, invite her over."

"Winter is a Senator, and a powerful one at that." Weiss noted. "She might not have the time."

"Doesn't matter." Blake shook her head. "Yang would move mountains for Ruby. Winter can take a day or two out of her schedule to meet her sister's partner. Weiss...just ask, okay?"

"Alright, fine, okay." Weiss relented. "But what if she says she can't"

Blake took on a look of determination, one Weiss found reminiscent of the one she adopted when fighting. "The we'll go to _her_."

* * *

Fortunately, more extreme measures were not necessary. Winter was eager to visit Weiss, even more so to meet her sister's partner. For the time being, Blake's gender was concealed. It was a unisex name, so Winter had not questioned it, though it caused Weiss no end of insecurity when her sister referred to Blake as the "man" in her life.

They were to meet at Weiss' penthouse first, before heading down to the restaurant for dinner. Weiss had insisted on buying new formal clothes for herself and Blake. Blake went along with it to keep Weiss from clawing her hair out in anxiety. Blake eschewed a dress for a black tailored women's suit with a lilac dress shirt. Weiss had purchased a simple white dress that faded to a light blue on the skirt, the neck and shoulders being of sheer material that showed off just a hint of cleavage.

"Weiss, you'll burn a hole through the tiles." Blake joked as Weiss paced back and forth.

Weiss briefly paused, shooting Blake a worried look. "She's late Blake." She observed.

"She said she'll be here by six." Blake noted. "It's ten to six now."

"Winter is always early Blake, always." Weiss declared. "It was trained into us from an early age."

Blake stood from the couch to take Weiss' hands, they trembled in her grasp. She bumped their foreheads together. "Calm down, everything will be alright." Blake soothed.

"But what if it isn't?" Weiss protested.

"Then I'll _make_ it alright." Blake declared. "Weiss, I will make you happy, no matter what it takes, I promise you this. I love you."

"I love you too Blake." Weiss swallowed, taking a shaky breath. Weiss was about to kiss Blake, but remembering her heavy lipstick, settled for an embrace instead. Two knocks rung out and Weiss jerked away, turning to gaze fearfully at the door. "She's here!"

"Weiss, breathe." Blake advised.

Weiss took several slow, deep breaths, perfected her posture and facial expression, glanced at Blake one last time, then walked down the hall, approaching the door. Slowly, she gripped the handle, and turned.

"...and I swear to God, if I find another scratch on it I'll…" Winter fumed.

"Gut me like an Atlesian game hen, yeah, yeah, I've 'eard it all before." The man with Winter cut in. "Hey, don't mind us, just getting reamed by the boss."

Winter slapped the man on the lapel, tucking her keys into his pocket before turning to address Weiss. "Sister, I apologize for Mr. Branwen, my state appointed bodyguard." She stated. "Qrow was just leaving."

"Alright, I get it, family outing, no guards allowed, fine." Qrow smirked, holding up his hands in defeat. "Just don't come cryin' if you stub your toe and need a table leg arrested."

Winter shoved her finger past Qrow's face, over his shoulder. "Leave, now." She demanded. With one last smirk, Qrow winked at Winter, nodded to Weiss, and strode back into the elevator. Winter did not drop her hand until the door had closed on his smug face.

"He seems...interesting." Weiss tried to be diplomatic.

"He's an asshole Weiss." Winter abandoned all diplomacy. "Thank God he keeps sober on the job. He's even more insufferable in his natural state."

"If he's so difficult, why not have him replaced?" Weiss asked.

"He...keeps me honest." Winter replied. "So, how have you been?"

"Stressing, you're late." Weiss replied.

"My apologies, Mr. Branwen made a wrong turn." Winter explained. "Where is Blake?"

Weiss swallowed hard, stepping aside. "Inside, waiting for you." She answered.

Winter strode past. "I half expected him to answer the door himself." She chuckled. "Is the thought of meeting me so intimi...dating…" Winter stopped in her tracks when she caught sight of Blake, looking her up and down. "Ah."

"Miss Schnee." Blake greeted.

"Miss?" Winter asked.

"Belladonna, ma'am." Blake replied.

Winter stepped toward Blake and extended her hand. Blake took it, shaking it firmly. "A pleasure." Winter smiled. "I must apologize, I heard your name and assumed incorrectly. Weiss, why didn't you correct me?"

"I...I wasn't sure how you might react." Weiss struggled.

"I take responsibility Madam Senator." Blake cut in. "This was my idea. I wanted to meet you face to face, to be sure of your approval."

"I see." Winter sighed with a remorseful look. "Weiss, I'm sorry if I ever gave you the impression that I would not approve."

"So you do?" Weiss asked.

"Very much so." Winter grinned, turning to face Blake. "And please, call me Winter. You look quite strapping Blake. Did Weiss pick this out for you?"

"Winter!" Weiss admonished.

Blake and Winter shared a chuckle. "Weiss wanted me in a dress, but muscles don't do them any favors." Blake explained.

"Yang managed them just fine!" Weiss countered.

"Yang defies the laws of gravity and reality." Blake protested. "I like this suit, though yes, Weiss did pick it out for me. The shirt was my idea however."

"You both chose well." Winter grinned. "Though I take it I won't be an aunt any time soon?"

"Winter!" Weiss gasped.

"After the marriage." Blake joked.

"Blake!" Weiss spluttered.

"Will it be a fall wedding?" Winter asked.

"I was thinking Winter." Blake laughed. "Seems too fitting to pass up."

"Can we please just get to the restaurant." Weiss groaned. "I'm starving."

"I told you to eat lunch." Blake noted.

"I don't think I could have kept it down." Weiss sighed.

"Very well then, let us be off." Winter declared.

"Blake, I forgot my lip balm, can you get if for me?" Weiss requested. "It's on the bedside table."

"Sure." Blake nodded, heading off, deeper into the penthouse.

Once Blake was out of sight, Weiss latched onto Winter. "Thank you."

Winter was taken off guard, but returned the embrace. "Silly, I could never disapprove of your love." Winter encouraged. "So long as she makes you happy, she could be a homeless stray for all I care...she…"

"No Winter, she's not a homeless stray." Weiss cut her off. "She had an apartment of her own but moved in shortly before we got together. We were both tired of being alone."

"That's good then, she is very beautiful." Winter observed. "I take it she is strong?"

"She's an amazing fighter, and her muscles are just…" Weiss trailed off.

"Good, good." Winter nodded. "So long as you feel safe in her arms."

Hearing Blake approach, the sisters separated but did not step away. "It was on your office desk." Blake explained.

"Thank you Blake." Weiss smiled. "Now shall we go?"

"Any recommendations?" Winter asked.

"The seafood is of particularly high quality." Blake replied.

"Of course she recommends the seafood." Weiss sighed.

"It's good seafood." Blake scoffed. "I don't hear _you_ complaining."

"Blake!" Weiss gasped.

"At least you have good taste." Winter grinned.

" _Winter!_ "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the wait, slipped my mind entirely, but this marks the end of the second arc, and the last prequel arc, when we return someday in the far future, it'll be the first sequel. 
> 
> Thanks for reading.

**Author's Note:**

> Cover art is by the wonderful Jo3mm, found on Tumblr and Deviant Art.  
> The first two story arcs will be prequels, then after a hiatus, we will start posting sequel arcs.


End file.
